- If you have not heard, the Smiths’ home was robbed the day after Christmas. While we were meeting with Jose Luis and Emilio regarding the future of our first house church, men were wrecking the Smiths’ house and preparing to take many of their belongings with them. We thank God for the relationship that Kyle and Larissa have been forming with their neighbor, Luzmila, and her family. If it were not for that family, the cops would not have arrived to catch the robbers in the act. Many of our friends here have explained that it is rare for robbers to be caught, and if neighbors suspect robberies they turn their heads the other direction. Join us in thanking God for all the blessings that came from the incident that night: an affirmed loyalty in the Smiths’ neighbors and the robbers being caught without getting away with anything. Check out the Smith family site for more details.
- We are blessed to have a team vehicle. It overheated and broke down on our way home from Bible study this past Wednesday night. We were 6 blocks from the McKinzie home. (Being stranded in the part of town we drive through at night would not be at the top of my list of things I would like to experience here.) The repair was nothing major, and we were able to start the van to drive it safely to a garage after it cooled off. Another blessing.
- We will not have New Year’s pictures in this newsletter, but the entire city of Arequipa will be blasting their fireworks at midnight just like they do on Christmas Eve (even though the act has been banned). Happy 2010!
- We leave Sunday morning to travel to Naranjal to take part in their anniversary celebration. Part of that celebration will include clean drinking water. We are honored to be invited to the event and will be sure to take pictures and video footage of many grateful families who will enjoy clean drinking water in the coming year.
- Savor the look of this newsletter, because it is no more. Newsletters 2010 will be new and improved. Also check out the team site. It had a facelift too.
- Continue to pray for Larissa and the Smith family. We anxiously await the arrival of their new little one in the coming month.